CD Reviews

Another masterpiece from Lacy

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 02/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lacy became a country music star in the early eighties without ever quite achieving the level of success I hoped for. She parted company with Columbia in the mid-eighties but re-emerged with this album on Universal at the end of the eighties. I thought her Columbia music was brilliant but Lacy proved to be as good as ever here. Although Lacy only contributed to writing three of the songs here, it is clear that she could relate to all the songs here, which each relate in some way to the basic theme of life's struggles.The most famous song here is Still crazy after all these years, which is a cover of a Paul Simon song. Many of the other songs here are upbeat and assertive, such as I'm a survivor, Walking wounded, A diamond all the time, Turn to the one, The heart (a Kris Kristofferson song), They don't make them like they used to and Hard luck ace (a brilliant tribute to various people including Buddy Holly, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams Junior). The album slows down for Old friends (a Guy Clark song about how old friends are the ones you rely on) and Me and these arms.Lacy has made many great albums but this one is my favorite. Indeed, it is one of my all-time favorite albums of any kind.TracksI'm a survivor
Walking wounded
A diamond all the time
Still crazy after all these years
Old friends
Turn to the one
The heart
Me and these arms
They don't make them like they used to
Hard luck ace"